Tales of Friendship: Conan and Ai
by SoulSeeker
Summary: When you're lonely, sometimes you just need someone to talk to...a series of ConanAi ShinichiShiho friendship stories, for the LJ community. [Splish Splash: It was summer at last!]
1. Thought Thief

**Title:** Thought Thief  
**Fandom:** Detective Conan/Case Closed  
**Author:** Amm-chan (SoulSeeker)  
**Theme:** #21—common ground  
**Friends:** Edogawa Conan and Haibara Ai  
**Rating:** PG  
**Disclaimer:** All Detective Conan characters are not mine. They are merely toys borrowed from Gosho Aoyama, and I'm being extra careful so that I can give them back to him in perfect condition.  
**Summary:** Maybe they just knew each other…

_Yep, another DC challenge from me :D What can I say? I'm addicted…hope you enjoy this and the future stories to come._

* * *

As little Edogawa Conan, Shinichi wasn't a man of many words; especially when he was in a large group. He didn't have much to say, so naturally, he kept quiet. Most of the words he said were either coming out of Kogoro's mouth, or explaining something to the Detective Boys. Only the ones who needed it of course; Haibara Ai was an exception.

Either way, when he spoke, it was usually to solve cases, or explain something important to a case. Quite noticeably, Ai-chan was quiet as well, and though the similarities between the two were so obvious, they were also subtle—and so they went unnoticed. To anyone who knew their situation, however, their similarities made perfect sense. They suffered a common fate. Two teenagers, both intelligent, both trapped in their childhood years, and both surrounded by the same friends…

"Sooo, do you guys know what you're getting Ayumi for her birthday yet?"

As they rode home in Dr. Agasa's yellow car, Mitsuhiko grinned excitedly about the grand event that was to take place that weekend: Ayumi's birthday party, celebrating her eighth birthday.

Being teenagers and definitely passed the phase of balloons and clowns however, it was sad to say that Conan and Ai could not share the same enthusiasm. Genta, however, looked delighted and smiled. "I'm going to make her my famous cupcakes!" he exclaimed excitedly. "And maybe some comic books, or CDs, or maybe some detective gadgets…"

Mitsuhiko giggled. "That sounds good," he remarked, "but if you're going to compete with me, you'll have to do better than that!" Genta rolled his eyes, his level of happiness decreasing a little bit by his comment, and he decided to ignore him.

"So what about you two? Gotten your presents yet?" Mitsuhiko turned to the other two Detective Boys left in the car.

Conan shrugged.

Ai shrugged.

Mitsuhiko raised an eyebrow at them suspiciously, which made them turn to each other, and after staring thoughtfully for a few moments, they nodded.

"Ah…yeah. Sure. I have an idea for something to give her," Conan quickly told him. Ai agreed, and after a few moments of silence, he smiled, seeming satisfied, and things between them quickly quieted down. Mitsuhiko and Genta were then dropped off, and soon only Ai, Conan, and Dr. Agasa remained in the car.

"Do you actually know what you're going to get her?" Ai shut closed her book and turned to Conan with a cold stare after the children had finally left.

He gave a shrug. "How hard could it be to satisfy a seven-year-old?" he replied. She smirked, acknowledging his point, and simply laid her head back, letting it rest against the back of the seat.

"Guess you're right," she remarked. "What's she got planned anyway? An amusement park, right? I think that's what it said on the invitation…"

Conan pulled out a card from his pocket and handed it to her. "Tropical Land," he specified, with a slight chuckle. "Gotta say, I never thought I'd be seeing that place again any time soon. Should be…interesting…"

Ai smiled devilishly as she looked at the invitation, recalling his story about how had shrunken.

"Indeed…"

* * *

The morning of the party came rapidly, and, all things considered, went by relatively quickly too. Conan had woken up slightly behind schedule, and after he got dressed, he walked downstairs in a rush and found Ran there, dangling keys from her hands as she shoved the last bite of what appeared to be a cereal bar in her mouth.

"Ran-neechan?" Conan approached her cautiously, as if he didn't know her.

"Oh there you are Conan! Come on, or we'll be late. You don't want them to leave without us now, do you?" Ran held out her hand for him to take it, and he did, though suspiciously.

"Wait…you mean you're going too?" he asked. "Ayumi invited you?"

Ran giggled, and together they walked outside, bound for the ice-cream store where they agreed to meet. "Something like that…" she replied. "It was more Miss Yoshida's idea. She wanted another chaperone, so I volunteered."

Conan nodded; it made perfect sense, he supposed. If there had to be another chaperone, it may as well have been Ran.

They entered the ice-cream shop, having seen Ayumi wave wildly from outside, and found out that they were the last ones to arrive. Everyone had a cup of ice-cream with them—except for Haibara, who had chosen a cone.

"Conan! You're late," Ayumi giggled, as she ran to his side. "I was getting worried!"

He smiled at her warmly, exchanging glances with Ai for a brief moment before turning his attention back to her. "Yeah, I know. Sorry about that," he told her curtly. "Woke up late this morning, that's all. Happy birthday, by the way!"

Ayumi smiled excitedly and thanked him, and her hyper mood had then carried her attention over to Ran. She ran to her with a wide grin. "And Ran-neechan! Thank you for coming, too!"

Conan watched her happily, remembering his own childhood birthdays, and he casually gravitated towards Ai. She was coming to the end of her ice-cream cone, but he had noticed that there was another cone in her other hand, and it was beginning to drip. "Why do you have two?" he inquired curiously, eyeing the other ice cream cone which happened to have his favorite flavor.

Her gaze shifted to meet his, and she shook her head casually after taking the last bite, finishing off her cone. "I don't," she explained. She held up the ice-cream cone in front of him. "This is for you. Miss Yoshida's in the bathroom—she figured we'd all want to leave right away once you two got here, so we just got some for you two to save time."

He took the cone with a smile, beginning to lick the trails of melted ice-cream that ran down the cone before taking a bite of it. "How'd you know chocolate chip cookie dough was my favorite?" he asked. He quickly grabbed a napkin from the front counter and wrapped it around his cone protectively.

Ai shrugged nonchalantly, though he could notice a smirk played on her lips. "Lucky guess?"

Conan chuckled at the response, feeling slightly tickled at it. "Yeah right," he retorted. "You just asked the doc, didn't you?"

She giggled ever so lightly; so lightly that one could barely even notice it. "How'd you know?"

And he just shrugged, a slight smile coming to his lips. "Lucky guess."

* * *

Tropical Land.

Noticeably, it hadn't changed much since the last time he was there. Granted, there was a brand new steel rollercoaster, but in his physical condition, he obviously wouldn't get a chance to go anywhere near it. Besides the _Silverwing_, however, no major additions were made. It was the same; the fountains, the vending machines, the Mystery Coaster…

"Hey Conan! Come on, slowpoke, keep up, would ya?"

A frustrated Genta folded his arms impatiently as he stopped to turn behind them, making everyone else turn around as well. Doused with a cold helping of reality, he finally sped up, realizing that he had been behind. "Sorry…"

Genta quickly forgot his frustration, and his attention was turned to the gigantic black tracks that had made an enormous arch in the sky. It was the main drop of the _Silverwing_, the new coaster, and to date it had the highest drop in the park. It was hard to avoid, as it was the only ride you could see from any point in the amusement park.

"That looks insane!" Ayumi commented upon seeing it, noticing that Genta's attention faltering from the group.

Everyone's head had turned to the marvel at the seventy-degree drop. Ran giggled, petting the birthday girl on the head as she stared at it; it was quite a sight to behold. "Yeah—you guys want to go on it?" she teased with a laugh. Scared, shocked looks followed in response.

"No way! That's _way_ too high!"

Ayumi, Genta and Mitsuhiko all shouted defensively at the same time, almost like the line had been rehearsed.

"…Sure, why not?"

Conan's and Ai's voices chiming out simultaneously warranted a laugh from Ran, and in surprise, they turned to each other and gawked, disbelievingly.

"Did you just say—?"

"Did we just—?"

They froze, each waiting for the other to talk, and finally Ai just folded her arms, looking at him with an accusing smile. "You thought thief," she scoffed; and Conan stuck his tongue out childishly.

"I could say the same thing about you," he reminded her.

And with that, the subject dropped. They all had a good laugh at what had happened, but were quickly distracted when they saw the colorfulness that was the giant ball pool they had set aside in the children's section of the park…the kids inside were laughing, and the Detective Boys became eager to join them.

Except for of course, the teenagers in disguise.

While Miss Yoshida wandered off on her own to the souvenir shops, Ran had agreed to wait and watch over the children as they played with the other kids in the ball pool. Conan and Ai stood next to her, watching them too as they jumped freely into the balls, tossing them up into the air and letting them fall back down again.

They looked so happy, and so care-free…

"Man…I wish I could be a kid again," Ran grinned cheekily as she watched them. Memories of her own birthday parties she had held in the past came pouring into her.

The two 'children' turned sharply to her and stared, wondering if they had actually heard her words correctly.

"No you _don't_—trust me…"

Their heads whipped around to each other once more, and they met eye to eye; their words had matched yet again. Ran looked amused, though slightly curious. "That's the second time you guys have done that today!" she remarked with slight chuckle. "You two must be very close…"

They blinked at each other, not exactly sure what to say, and Conan simply shrugged as he tried to stifle an nervous giggle. "Something like that, I guess," he responded. "It might just be that we spend too much time with each other. Or have too much in common…"

"Or…"

Ai put a hand to her chin, looking thoughtful, and there was silence. Conan and Ran turned to her expectantly, curiously waiting for her to go on and finish her sentence; she held them in suspense for a little while longer, and finally, a small, light smile escaped her—a genuine smile that hadn't been seen on her in a long time.

"…or maybe we just…know each other."

The two exchanged smirks and at that point, they left Ran puzzled.

One of those days, when the time was finally right, he really would clue her in on everything she needed to know…


	2. One Tough Riddle

**Title:** One Tough Riddle  
**Fandom:** Detective Conan/Case Closed  
**Author:** Amm (SoulSeeker)  
**Theme:** #5—hidden treasures  
**Friends:** Edogawa Conan and Haibara Ai  
**Rating:** PG  
**Disclaimer:** All Detective Conan characters are not mine. They are merely toys borrowed from Gosho Aoyama, and I'm being extra careful so that I can give them back to him in perfect condition.  
**Summary:** I could've answered it for them like I usually did, but they wouldn't have understood it…

_Dos :P_

* * *

What was it about buried treasure that got kids so entranced and fascinated?

Even me, when I was younger—and I mean _actually_ younger, this crazy drug turning me back doesn't count—I liked them too. And of course now, there was nothing that could get the Detective Boys hyped up more than a good old-fashioned treasure hunt.

"Cooonnnaannnn! Aaiii-chan!"

It was that voice; I could just tell, and I think Haibara could too, that it was either a new treasure-hunt adventure, or a new haunted house. The two of us turned to face Ayumi, who seemed to be their 'leader' when I wasn't around, and simply stared as she ran up to greet us. 'Excited' didn't even begin to describe the emotion on her face.

"Guess what!" she exclaimed. She ran full force towards us, and suddenly I spotted a small rock in her path, simply waiting be tripped over. Firmly situated in the ground and well-camouflaged, I knew it'd be the last thing she would notice; and so, in anticipation of her fall, I held out my arm to catch her…

And surprise: I was right.

Ayumi clung to my arm as she began to lose balance, and I helped her stand upright again; kids were so silly sometimes. "Thank you…" she told me; admittedly, she looked a little shaken up. I simply nodded and she let go of me, brushing herself off, and she resumed her smiling.

"You were saying?" I eyed her expectantly and waited for her to go on.

"They're hosting a game for kids ten years and under at the National Park tomorrow in honor of Kids' Day! And guess what you get to do?" Ayumi waved the flier frantically in my face and I had to snatch it from her to even read it correctly. Sure enough, I was right again: a treasure hunt. I smiled and even managed to chuckle a little bit as read, and I handed the paper to Haibara.

"Sounds fun—what do you think?" I asked her. I noticed she hadn't talked much that morning—of course, she never talked much at _all_, but that wasn't the point. She scanned over the paper and handed it back to Ayumi (somewhat quickly, I noticed), nodding in approval.

"Sounds entertaining, but I suggest we save the excitement for later," she advised. "We're going to be late for class."

We stared as she walked into the classroom, and understandably, Ayumi looked a tad upset. "What's up with her?" she inquired innocently. "I thought she always liked this sort of thing…"

I just shook my head with a sigh. Sometimes, Haibara just wasn't a people person. She could be, though. No doubt about it. She had her moments, like anyone else. "Don't worry about her." I put a hand on Ayumi's shoulder and slowly led her into the classroom. "That's just how she is sometimes."

Either I was just really good with words, or it was REALLY easy to get Ayumi to smile. Or maybe it was both, I didn't really know. But either way, she was smiling by the time she got to her seat, and Genta and Mitsuhiko's enthusiasm about the whole ordeal probably helped some too. They were still giggling, even as they saw the teacher walk into the room.

I made my way to my usual seat next to Haibara and sat down promptly, anticipating the beginning of class. The teacher seemed to stall a bit, ruffling through papers (probably looking for something), but finally smiled and pulled out one sheet of paper in victory.

"All right class, I know you've been waiting for this," she grinned mockingly. "I've got new seats for all of you!"

The whole class groaned—including me. I was completely happy sitting next to the only other person who was my age, and I wanted to stay there, thank you very much. But of course, the notion was dropped completely.

Not only did she split us up—she sat us _across the room_ from each other. _Across the room! _We never even talked! I could understand maybe moving me or her a desk over, or even a couple desks. But across the room! What we'd done to deserve that, I'd never know—or perhaps she didn't do it on purpose. But I didn't care. I had enough trouble staying awake through 'two times five is ten' and 'five times six is thirty' with a friend _there_.

And now there'd be no one.

No one to make fun of some of the other students with.

No one to finish the work an hour ahead of time with me so we could talk and keep ourselves entertained for the rest of the time.

No one to pass notes to.

Just thinking about it, I had already known that the class had just gotten ten times more boring. I'm talking about her like I'm obsessed with her sitting near me or something—and I'm really not; and of course I'm not in _love_ with her or anything. I mean, I still love Ran, despite the stupid Black Organization screwing up my life.

I guess I had just taken it for granted that she'd always just be right there, enduring the same thing with me. I didn't realize how valuable her friendship, her _presence_ had been to me.

And I mean, I suppose it wasn't that big of a deal either. She was still there, after all. It wasn't like she died or something. But she wasn't _there_.

I couldn't turn to her at a random point in the class and go, "Hey, Haibara, how much more time to we have to kill?"

"Hey Haibara, you want to play hangman until the others finish?"

"Hey Haibara, do you have any Sudoku on you?"

It just wasn't the same. Part of me wondered if she felt the same way, but I assumed not. After all, it was just a tiny annoyance; certainly not something worth throwing a tantrum over. I'd get over it…there wasn't that much time left in the school year anyways.

After the day ended, the gang got talking about that treasure hunt thing again. I remained relatively quiet while the others hounded Haibara about going; she had refused and of course, she didn't cave in. That just wasn't like her. She wasn't going to go, and I suppose in the end, I didn't feel like going either.

"But why, Conan? You always come with us! You're our leader!"

Ayumi begged and begged, and I felt bad about refusing, but I really was starting to get tired of being a kid. _Kids_ celebrated Kids' Day—not teenagers trapped in kids' bodies.

"I'm sorry, Ayumi, but I really just don't want to," I told her bluntly. "You can do it without me and Ai-chan. Besides…" I shot a glance over at Haibara and looked back to them. "I've already found my treasure, and it's more valuable than what they could _ever_ give me."

"Really? What is it Conan, what is it!"

"Yeah, tell us, man! Don't hold out!"

I just gave them my mysterious Conan…I mean, my famous _Shinichi_ smirk and watched them squirm and try to read my mind. I could've answered it for them like I usually did, but they wouldn't have understood it. Not quite yet, anyway. "Think of it as a riddle, you guys," I cooed. "And when you figure it out, I'll have a prize for you."

No, it would be a while before they'd understand the value of friendship—and that was okay. It was one of those things you had to learn yourself, or it just wouldn't be any fun. And who knows how long it would take them?

Minutes, hours, days, years…it would just be another one of life's surprises.

I know it certainly surprised _me_.

* * *

_**A/N:** Okay, this was very, very stream-of-conscious. So sue me—sometimes those are the most fun to write. And the value of friendship is a hard concept to grasp:P Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. Until next time!_


	3. Reasons

**Title:** Reasons  
**Fandom:** Detective Conan/Case Closed  
**Author:** Amm-chan (SoulSeeker)  
**Theme:** #19—lunchtime  
**Friends:** Edogawa Conan and Haibara Ai  
**Rating:** PG  
**Disclaimer:** All Detective Conan characters are not mine. They are merely toys borrowed from Gosho Aoyama, and I'm being extra careful so that I can give them back to him in perfect condition.  
**Summary:** She was beginning to hate that word, that question "why"…

_#3_

* * *

If it wasn't for the bell to signal lunchtime, Conan probably would've never woken up from his nap during his "class" at Teitan Elementary. Somehow, though, the fact that he hadn't been paying so much as a _lick _of attention in the past _hour _of class had gone utterly unnoticed by the teacher. He had to admit, she wasn't the most observant person in the world—but then again, he couldn't really complain.

Besides . . . who was he to say? Maybe she knew he napped, and didn't really care . . .

He didn't know, but either way, he stood up with the rest of the crowd, walking out of the door followed by Ayumi, Genta, and Mitsuhiko. The four had stepped aside, watching the throngs of children pile out in droves as they waited for the last member of their illustrious Shounen Tantei group. She was quiet, but certainly not enough so that her absence would go unnoticed.

"Where's Haibara?" Conan had peeked inside the classroom again, but saw no trace of her. "I don't think I saw her leave . . ."

"Actually, I think I saw someone wearing a cap that looks like hers walking out," Mitsuhiko pointed out. "I couldn't really tell if it was her though . . . whoever it was rushed out in a blaze with the rest of the crowd. I don't think it was her though—I mean, why would she hide from us?"

Glances were exchanged between the four of them, and it seemed like everyone was trying to read everyone else's mind. Not that our favorite detective had a problem with that.

_I could certainly think of a few valid reasons_, Conan mused to himself. But he bit his tongue and kept the thought to himself, deciding to spare his comrades' feelings for the moment. His boxed lunched clasped in his hands, he made his way towards the stairs, just down the hall from them. He couldn't picture Ai getting out of the room without him having noticed, so he had his doubts about Mitsuhiko's story, but if _any_one could've slipped past his gaze to get away, it was her.

"You guys head over to the cafeteria," he commanded. "I'll find her and meet up with you guys."

Ayumi immediately frowned. "But Conan, wait!" she called after him. "Maybe we should go with you. You know where she is?"

Conan gave her a reassuring smile, shaking his head. "No, but I've got ideas," he replied. "Don't worry—I'll catch up with you later! Go on, okay?"

She hesitated, but the other boys had eventually dragged her on. They had learned, in the near-year that they had been friends, that it was best not to question or try to make sense of what he did. Ever. And for that, he was grateful. He worked better alone—it was then that his brain was at full capacity.

And thus, it began.

Sort of.

In truth, he really knew all along that there was only one place she'd really go . . . the search had finished before it even started. Conan had followed the first rule of thumb when searching for a person, and he had put himself in her shoes; he knew exactly what she would've wanted.

Somewhere peaceful . . .

Somewhere that wasn't crowded . . .

Some place where she wouldn't be disturbed . . .

Some place quiet . . .

There was only one place that came to his mind. And that was the rooftop.

Almost as soon as he realized it, his legs had kicked their way up the endless flights of stairs, so far and fast that he lost count of the number of students he had to push out of his way; the children who were coming down to the cafeteria. He approached the door to the roof at last, and he proceeded with utmost caution. It wasn't _positive_ that the roof was off-limits, but Conan was always a firm advocate of the precautionary principle and he decided he was better off safe than sorry.

The door wasn't locked though, so unless the security was really lousy, he assumed that the students were allowed. That, or, Haibara Ai was simply good with locks . . . and somehow, Conan didn't doubt any of the possibilities.

Especially not when he saw what he _knew _was Ai's cap.

"Haibara?" he ventured.

The cap swayed back and forth with the wind, hanging off of the railing that had surrounded the roof area. He saw no one, and for a second, he had wondered if he'd made a mistake. Perhaps she wasn't in this quiet, tranquil place like he thought . . . although he knew for a fact that he cap certainly couldn't have put it_self_ there.

Taking it from the railing, he slipped the cap on, feeling like someone right out of a baseball game. If Ai had put it there, then where was she? Assuming it was put there today, which he was sure it was, reason said that she should've still been there; unless of course, she'd managed to slip away from him again, or . . . well, she _was_ acting sort of . . . _out_ of it that day . . . but she wouldn't have. . . she _really _wouldn't have . . .

"Haibara!"

Conan tossed the cap to the ground and ran frantically up to the railing at the edge of the building, looking down to the green grass below. The railing bars were high, but they weren't _that _high, and if she really wanted to, Ai could've very easily . . .

"_What?_"

He froze for a moment and turned around slowly, as if his every move was being monitored . . . as if a wrong move could've killed him, if he wasn't careful. She stood there with folded arms, looking slightly annoyed, and Conan could only smile.

"There you are," he muttered. "For a second there, I thought you'd . . . well . . . I thought you . . . "

"Jumped?" Ai chuckled to finish off his thought. She sneered. "Please. And here I thought you knew me, Kudo-kun."

Conan scratched his head, a nervous giggle escaping his mouth. Looking back on things, he supposed that it had been a rather stupid thought. But then again, that's what he got for thinking too much and "jumping the gun," as the expression goes. He stood there, not really sure what to say . . . so instead, he waited, and listened.

"Why did you follow me?" Ai asked. Her eyes gazed at him with a cold stare that nearly froze him in place, and they seemed to demand an answer; one that, frankly, Conan wasn't really sure he had. So he did what any good detective did when there was a question that he couldn't answer.

Nothing.

"Why are you here?" He ignored the question, countering it with his own—and anyone who knew anything about Shinichi knew that, even as Conan, his eyes could be just as cold and demanding as Ai's, Ran's, or anyone else's.

"Why do you care?" she hissed. She could be just as stubborn; if he wasn't going to answer her questions, she certainly wasn't going to answer his.

"Why would you think that I didn't?"

"Why _should_ you?"

"Because you're my friend."

Just when she was beginning to hate that word—that question, "why"—she asks a question that he actually has an answer to. An answer that, for once, she didn't have a snide remark to say to; no sarcastic comment, not even in good humor.

Chuckling slightly at her lack of response, Conan suddenly remembered that he still had his lunch in his hands. Hunger was the last thing he was worried about at that moment, so he held it out in front of her in offering; it didn't look like she had gotten a whole lot of sleep, or food, for that matter, and he couldn't see her having enough time to make her own lunch and bring it. She'd probably been hard at work again, to find that cure . . .

"Here," the boy offered. "It's lunchtime, so you should eat."

Ai blinked, somewhat confused by his kind gesture as she stared at the box in front of her. She shook her head. "No," she decided, after a pause. "It's _your_ l—"

"I'm not hungry," Conan intervened. "Take it."

She still refused, not moving so much as an inch, and he sighed in frustration. He forgot how difficult she could be at times.

"Take it, or I'm throwing it over this railing," he warned. He held the box up high, making like he was going to throw it. "I'm not kidding, and I'm not letting you jump after it."

Ai managed a stifled chuckle at that attempt, however, it wasn't enough for her to comply. It didn't keep Conan away however; he didn't give up easily, and she knew it—but neither did she.

"All right, fine. Let's try this another way." Conan smirked and sat down, his hands moving all on their own to open the lunch, and he began to pull out the food that was inside. "Take the lunch and eat it, or I'll shove it down your throat and make you," he threatened. "And I _don't_ have a spoon."

Her eyebrows raised, Ai stared at him, wondering what exactly he had planned. He had that look on his face, and she wasn't sure she liked it. She _was _hungry however, and although she didn't want him to win, her stomach did.

"Come on," Conan laughed, motioning towards the food.

She slowly approached it wearily, which she supposed made him a little impatient.

"What, do you think I poisoned it or something?" he asked teasingly. He tapped his fingers demandingly and she sighed, finally giving in. Conan smiled, seeing her eating, and she seemed to enjoy it. The silence grew ever stronger between them, and finally, he decided to strike conversation.

"Hey, Haibara?" he asked; there was an air of innocence in his voice that she swore she'd never heard before. "Why are you helping me?"

She gawked at him. It was that word again, and she felt her hatred for it flow ferociously back into her body. Taking a sip from the box of orange juice that was in his lunch, her expression remained the same. "Helping you with what?"

Conan folded his arms, his eyes narrowing. "Don't play dumb," he hissed. "You know what I mean. You don't seem too eager to get back to your old body any time soon; so why are you helping _me_?"

It was true, Haibara wasn't too keen on becoming Miyano Shiho again. First the death of her sister, and now the Black Organization after her head . . . what reason was there to go back? What reason was there at all to find a cure, other than Shinichi? It wasn't really something she thought about, but now that she did, maybe there was a reason. Maybe Shinichi was an excuse for her to work on the cure, and somewhere deep inside her, she really did want to be Miyano Shiho again. Or maybe it really was for Shinichi . . .

Maybe she . . .

. . . No.

She didn't have to answer to him. Only to herself, and nobody else.

"I'm sorry," Ai said finally, standing up. "But the person you are trying to reach is currently unavailable right now. Please leave your name and number after the—"

_RIIIIIIIING._

Just then, with perfect timing, the bell rang to end lunch, and Ai smiled, walking away from him.

"—and we'll get back to you later!"

"Hey! Haibara, wait! Ugh . . ."

With a frustrated grunt, Conan ran after her sighing, not even bothering him to throw away the trash that they left. Actually, it wasn't that he left it on purpose; he simply forgot and didn't care. He continued to run after Ai, who continuously darted down the stairs, and he shook his head. He would never understand her, he admitted finally, and as he approached their next class, his mind presented him with one final question . . .

_Why is she so damn fast?_

* * *

_**A/N: **And there you have it; proof, that Miss Haibara Ai is NOT always the cold cynical "bitch" that people make her out to be. (giggles) This is a backburner project, as Candyland calls it, so it won't be updated as often as my others, but I hope you enjoy it anyways. :)_


	4. Splish Splash

**Title:** Splish Splash  
**Fandom:** Detective Conan/Case Closed  
**Author:** Amm-chan (SoulSeeker)  
**Theme:** #22—a favor  
**Friends:** Edogawa Conan and Haibara Ai  
**Rating:** PG  
**Disclaimer:** All Detective Conan characters are not mine. They are merely toys borrowed from Gosho Aoyama, and I'm being extra careful so that I can give them back to him in perfect condition.  
**Summary:** It was summer at last!

* * *

The first day of summer was always exciting. School was out at last, and the Detective Boys wasted no time in getting started on their fun summer-time activities…though they had their troubles on deciding what to do first.

"I want to go to the beach!" Ayumi grinned, imagining herself with a sun tan.

"No way!" Genta argued. "I say we spend a day in Tropical Land's water park—it'd be way more fun, with all the water rides and cool games, and good food!"

"Yeah, you would want to go for the food," she hissed in response.

"Are you deaf? It also has good games and water rides!"

"Why don't we let Ran-neechan decide?" Conan suddenly raised an eyebrow, watching the two of them argue. Usually, arguments were between Genta and Mitsuhiko, so to see a bout between Ayumi and Genta was quite strange and novel, indeed. Of course, little fits between friends here or there were normal. And at their age? Conan doubted he even needed to act as mediator.

The two of them turned to Conan, eyeing him like they hadn't even heard what he'd said. "Ran-neechan?" they repeated.

"Um…well she is the one taking us, isn't she?" the boy calmly reminded them.

The two of them sighed, hanging their heads down. Suddenly, it had seemed like they had gone from being on top of the world to being children again, tagging along with adults. Seeing the look on their faces, Shinichi almost hated himself.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Haibara smirk, shaking her head almost in warning; and he gave her a look. Yes, yes, he should keep quiet now; he knew. He didn't need to be told.

"Oh, nonsense," a voice chimed. "We can go where ever you guys can agree on." Ran, having just come from the kitchen, chimed into their conversation and decided to throw in her two yen. "Since you're having trouble deciding though, I do think Tropical Land might be a bit easier for today. It's closer; plus, you can still get a tan there Ayumi"—she winked—"is that all right?"

Ayumi looked at her and smiled. "All right," she complied. "Can we go to the beach next week?"

"Absolutely," Ran promised. "But for now is Tropical Land all right with everyone?"

"Yeah!" Genta and Ayumi grinned, agreeing at last; and just then, Mitsuhiko's parents pulled up to the agency driveway, finally dropping him off. Ayumi filled him in on what was to happen that day.

Conan cursed under his breath.

And thus, the girls and boys changed into their swimsuits and trunks, put on their best summer clothes, and they were soon on their way. Ran was sure to get a bit of money from her father so she could treat them to lunch, dinner, and possibly ice-cream throughout the day. They headed straight for the water park, and while Genta and Mitsuhiko decided they really wanted to speed down the water slides, Conan decided he'd prefer to lounge in the wave pool.

Ayumi wanted a tan, thus staying with Ran to sunbathe for a while—and Ai followed Conan. He couldn't be a lone wolf _all_ the time.

"Well…at least we're not riding the Mystery Coaster," Conan sighed, ruffling his hair a bit after it had gotten wet.

"Yet," Ai had to add—just to rain on his parade.

Giving her another look, he tried to ignore her remark and instead laid back, allowing himself to float. He relaxed with his eyes closed, letting the water drown out the noise from the loud, screaming, annoying children. And suddenly, a cold rush of water splashed over his face, in surprise, almost causing him to choke. His azure eyes burst open, and his head popped up from the water again, looking around.

"Who was that?" he demanded.

He could see Haibara, just coming out of the water after diving under. He eyed her critically, to which she stared right back. "What?" she asked.

"You _know_ what. You splashed me and I nearly choked!"

"No I didn't."

"Yes, you did. I can see it in your eyes," Conan declared. He looked straight at her, his gaze unyielding. "Most people have trouble looking others in the eye when they lie. You, on the other hand, know this fact, and you're the opposite. That's where you _always_ look when you lie."

"I always look people in the eye when I talk to them," Haibara informed him. "How can you tell?"

And there, he smirked.

"Because your eyes stay perfectly still when you lie," he replied simply. "When telling the truth, your gaze always moves a little, because it's hard to focus on one thing, especially with so much going on around you. But when you lie, you're concentrating on fooling the person, trying to seem truthful. So you concentrate on keeping your eyes on theirs, and they stay still."

Ai simply stared at him for a moment with folded arms, almost impressed. "You're too smart for your own good, you know that?" she informed him. "Why don't you be a kid for a day in your life? Most adults would kill to have the poison the men in black fed you, you know."

With that, she splashed him again, hard, and dove under water. The water had flown up in a wave, hit him, and went to hit the man behind him who'd been floating on one of those tubes you could rent from the park. "Watch it, kid!" he scowled warningly, seeing no one else around.

With that, and without even apologizing, Conan dove after her and began to swim in her direction. It was just then that he could hear the bell sound, signaling that waves were about to come. And they did, while Haibara only swam deeper.

She smiled at him, as they both the surfaced to breathe. "They did you a favor, Conan," she told him, over the sound of waves. "Just enjoy it for now. While it lasts."

Conan froze for a moment, allowing himself to bob up and down with the waves like a buoy. His expression seemed surprised, that Haibara would ever suggest that he should be _happy_ with what happened—that the men took his life away. But in the end, his lips curled into a smirk. Perhaps just for that day, she was right. He definitely was not happy about anything that happened to him. But just for that day…

"I'll get you!" he yelled. And with all his might, he continued to pursue her, splashing violently every once and a while in attempts to splash her back. Against the waves, this proved to be quite the difficult task, but he didn't give up—not even when she began to splash back.

When she did, he dove under water to avoid it. He came back up to splash her once more, and neither cared who was caught in the crossfire.

And for the moment, Shinichi and Shiho did not exist.

* * *

_**A/N:**__ Okay, so it's been a while. Yeeess, I know. Sorry about that. I hope you enjoyed this one. It was nothing like it was supposed to be…in fact, it wasn't even supposed to be for this theme. Buuutt, it turned out well in my opinion. Thanks for reading and hopefully it won't take me months for the next one. (smiles)_

_Happy summer!_


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